Title: Another Way to Die
Summary: One day, Hermione starts acting very strange. Suddenly she begins to fancy Malfoy, enjoys skipping around the Great Hall, is being abnormally polite to Ron, is skipping classes, and absolutely hates Harry Potter. What the bloody hell is going on here?
Rating: PG (for later romance, rating may rise *hint hint*)
A/N: This is my first ever story here on this site. I was just recently accepted and I'm so happy that I am able to join all the authors here on PK. Now, about this story… I know the title makes it sound really depressing but it doesn't really mean anything until we get further into the plot. I'm not sure how many chapters this story is going to end up being but I know where it's going.
Please be kind and review, like all authors, I love feedback! Thank you for choosing my story and I hope you enjoy and follow this story in the future. Wow, I sound like a flight attendant. Anyway - on with the story!
Chapter One --
It was just another normal evening in late September at Hogwarts as Harry, Ron and Hermione sat in the common room doing homework. The three sixth years already felt immensely over worked, even though they had barely been at school for a month.
"Sod it. I give up," said Ron, breaking the silence. He tilted back his chair as he pushed his parchment, quill, and ink away from him.
Hermione sighed and rolled her eyes but continued to work. Harry looked up from his homework, expecting her scolding remarks which he knew so well. But, when no such remarks came, he put down his quill with a plan to test the winds.
"I give up too," he said, starting to get up from his chair. He watched Hermione intently and saw a muscle twitch in her jaw. He heard her sigh again.
"Harry…"
"Yes?" asked Harry, innocently. Hermione looked up from her work, annoyed.
"You can't just not do your homework," she began, her usual scolding, "You're already behind as it is!"
Harry smiled and slowly sat back down. "Okay."
"What, you're just going to listen to her?" asked Ron.
"Yeah," said Harry as he picked up his quill again.
"Why?" he asked.
"Because she's right," said Harry, as always. He snuck a glance at Hermione and saw a small, yet apparent, accomplished smile on her face. Ron glanced between the two of them, oblivious to the game they were playing.
"You two are so strange," he said, exasperated.
"If you wanted help you could've just asked for it," said Hermione impatiently.
"I know you're not going to help me - even if I ask. Because, as you always say, `If you want to pass your N.E.W.T.s then you need to work on your own without any help from people who are more intelligent than you,'" said Ron, imitating Hermione's voice, or attempting to, rather. He was very far off as his voice was about an octave lower.
"I never said that!" retorted Hermione.
"Well, you said something like it. Something that had to do with intelligence and help and some other rubbish of the like…" he continued, knowing he was touching a nerve.
"Ron, you know I'm right! If you continuously depend on my help, then you'll never be able to have a life after Hogwarts. If you don't work hard now then -"
"You'll regret it later," finished Harry and Ron flatly in unison.
Hermione was trying her best to contain her anger. She just wanted to know why Ron was always such an insolent little -
"So are you going to help me or not?" asked Ron, snidely.
"No!" said Hermione, "I don't think you deserve my help at all."
"And why not? I bet you'd help Harry if he asked. Go on Harry, ask her," said Ron, motioning to Harry.
Hermione blushed slightly and felt the heat rise in her cheeks. She was hoping very much that Harry wouldn't ask her because she already knew what her answer would be.
Harry said nothing and Hermione mentally relaxed.
"Harry, come on, mate! Help me out here!" said Ron, almost begging now. He didn't like loosing to Hermione. He also didn't like it when Harry and Hermione seemed to know something he didn't.
When Harry again stayed silent, Ron let his chair tip back down to the ground with a bang and stood up.
"Well, it's not worth trying to get help if there's no help to get."
And with that, he left the common room and went up the stairs to the dormitory leaving Harry, Hermione and all his books and quills alone.
The two students worked in silence just enjoying the company and the now available ability to concentrate.
The sound of Hermione's quill scratching away was distracting Harry to no end. It didn't help at all that he had no idea what he was going to write. It also didn't help that he had no clue how to do the spell they were learning in Transfiguration at all whatsoever.
"Hermione?" he asked quietly.
Hermione stopped working, looked up, and gave Harry her undivided attention so quickly that he was momentarily startled.
"Yes, Harry?" she asked.
"I was wondering if you could help me on the Transfiguration," he said, recovering.
"Yeah, sure. What is that you don't understand?"
"Everything."
Hermione smiled slightly and they got to work. Hermione was constantly babbling on about wand movements, incantation enunciation and the origin of the spell but Harry wasn't taking in one second of it. He was wondering why Hermione was so keen to help him and didn't seem to want to help Ron at all before. She hadn't looked like she wanted to be distracted from her work, but when he had asked for help, she immediately responded.
"Harry, is that better?" asked Hermione after what seemed like forever.
"Sorry?" asked Harry.
Hermione smiled again, "Have you been listening at all?"
"Erm… sorta," replied Harry weakly.
"Sort of? Well… I'm not going to say all of that over again," said Hermione in a would-be scolding voice but instead it sounded patient and understanding. Although, Harry didn't know how she could be understanding of his "not listening" in this situation.
"Okay, well…" she continued, beginning to pack up her school bag, "We should probably go up to bed. It's getting late."
"Right. Late," Harry shook his head and also started to pack up his bag.
"I can't believe that Ron just left out all his things out… so rude and disorganized. He's going to forget something for Charms tomorrow morning, I know it," said Hermione, shaking her head.
There was a short awkward moment where Harry and Hermione just stood by the table thinking about whatever was on their mind. Harry was presently thinking about how kindly Hermione had been acting toward him lately. Hermione was thinking about what material she should start to study for next week's Arithmancy test and was also wondering what Harry was thinking about.
"Well, g'night," said Hermione. She gave Harry a brief, awkward, one-armed hug and left up the spiral staircase to the girls' dormitories leaving a very thoughtful Harry standing in the semi-darkness.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The next morning during breakfast, Harry again noticed changes in the way Hermione was acting towards him and Ron.
"I can't find my quill…" mumbled Ron as he dug through his bag. Hermione made a distinct "humph" sound. "What?"
"Nothing…" said Hermione.
"No really, tell me."
"It's your fault that you can't find your quill."
"How do you mean?"
Hermione was quiet for a moment but Harry knew exactly what she was about to say.
"You left everything on the table last night before you went off to bed. You didn't even bother to clean up! Think of all the extra work you put the house elves through! It's not like they don't have enough to do already," said Hermione, already sounding exasperated.
"Hermione, could you pass me that extra knife?" asked Harry.
"Sure, Harry," said Hermione and gave him a smile and the knife, then turned back to Ron, "You need to take better care of your things, Ron. If you don't, you're going to loose everything you own and then you're going to blame me for not reminding you to clean up after yourself."
"I won't loose everything. I'm not that disorganized -"
"Yes you are, Ron, and you know it."
"Harry, am I disorganized?" Ron asked Harry, hoping that somebody would be on his side. Harry didn't really want to get involved. He'd rather stay quiet and eat his breakfast in peace.
But, on the other hand, Hermione was right. Ron was pretty disorganized. He always left all of his clothes out, crumpled on the ground all over the dormitory. His robes were always wrinkled and he was constantly asking Harry for parchment and quills because he had lost his own.
"Well… you are a bit disorganized…" began Harry, but upon seeing Ron's defeated look he added quickly, "But not so much that you'd loose everything."
"At least Harry's honest," said Hermione, nodding at Harry. Harry smiled sheepishly as Ron gave him a quick glare.
"Fine, side with Hermione, Harry. I don't care," said Ron, frowning.
"Come now, Ron. He wasn't insulting you, he was being honest. And, honestly, you should be honest too."
"You just said `honest' three times," remarked Harry.
"Did I?" asked Hermione, forgetting about Ron and giggling, "I guess you could call that parallel structure?"
"Erm - sure," said Harry. Hermione was acting oddly; she was having constant mood swings. She'd be scolding Ron one minute, then giggling at him the next. What was up with her?
"Ron! Are you still listening to me?" asked Hermione sharply.
"Not particularly, no."
"So rude…" Hermione mumbled under her breath and, Harry assumed, only he had caught that little insult because Ron didn't react at all.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
"Hermione, could you hold my quill for a second?" asked Ron as the trio walked back up to the common room after dinner.
"No," answered Hermione, not even sparing him a glance.
"Thanks, Harry," said Ron, rudely shoving the quill at Harry without even asking.
"Erm, no problem," said Harry.
They continued to walk down the corridors and staircases in silence, Harry standing between Ron and Hermione. They had just climbed the last staircase when something sprung into Harry's mind.
"Hermione, do you think I should get contacts?" It was random, yes, but Harry had come to know that glasses weren't exactly "in" anymore.
Hermione didn't answer. Harry looked around behind him.
"Hermione?"
Hermione wasn't there.
"Ron, where's Hermione?" asked Harry, getting worried.
"Oh, she's gone? I hadn't noticed," answered Ron.
"Ron, I'm serious. Did you hear her leave?"
"No."
Then, suddenly, they heard hurried footsteps from in front of them. Harry turned back around to see Hermione running towards him seeming oddly out of breath.
"Sorry," she panted.
"Hermione, where were you?" asked Harry.
"What? Where was I? I was… over there," said Hermione, gesturing down the corridor.
"How did you get over there when you were walking with us just a moment ago?"
"Um… I don't know. How am I supposed to know? Shortcut? It doesn't matter," said Hermione rudely.
Harry looked more closely at Hermione. There was a strange glazed look about her eyes.
"What are you looking at?" asked Hermione, pushing Harry away.
Harry stepped back away from Hermione, alarmed. She had never acted like this to him before. She'd been being so nice to him this morning, so why start now?
"Hermione, are you okay? Is something wrong?" asked Harry.
Ron seemed to have cottoned on to the subject at hand, also noticing Hermione's strange character. But he wasn't exactly being helpful. All he had done so far was look up from the ground and stare at Harry and Hermione.
"Nothing's wrong. It wouldn't be any of your business anyway," snarled Hermione, getting meaner by the minute.
"You've just made it my business," said Harry, "Why are you acting like this?"
"No, I think the question is: why are you acting so touchy? Just because I don't want to tell you something doesn't give you permission to force it out of me."
Hermione's eyes had turned from glazed looking to fiery. There was what looked like a long time contained anger shining in them. Harry didn't like it at all, not one bit.
"Well, if you're just going to rudely stare at me like that then I might as well leave. See you, Ron," said Hermione and marched away in the opposite direction of the common room.
Harry was speechless. He looked at Ron who also looked like he was at a loss for words. He shrugged and shook his head.
"Maybe it's just, you know, that time of the month," said Ron.
Harry nodded and he and Ron walked back toward the Gryffindor tower again in silence.
Harry didn't think Ron was right, though. Hermione had never acted like that before and surely she'd have gone through this "month thing" before. But what was worrying him the most were Hermione's eyes. They had never looked so… evil and fiery before and never a rude word had ever been directed towards him from her. This was all strange.
Very strange…
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